truman



(No Model.)

B. H. TRUMAN.

' TOY.

No. 463,468. Patented Nov. 1'7, 1891..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR H. TRUMAN, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

TQY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,468, dated November17, 1891.

Application filed October 13, 1890. Serial No. 367,982. (No model) andFig. 3 a vertical section through line w in Fig. 1.

My invention relates to improvements in toy games; and its object is toprovide a simple and inexpensive device designed notonly to afford asource of innocent amusement to the young, but also an attractive andfascinating entertainment for families and social circles generally.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A designates a tablet,preferably circular in form, which may be made of wood or' othersuitable material. The center of the tablet is provided with transverselines, forming nine squares, within which are a corresponding number ofshallow cavities or depressions B, designed to engage the same number ofsmall balls or marbles, which are of two different olors, and arenumbered 1 to 9, inclusive. A circular barrier C,having four openings D,surrounds the central square. The said openings D are respectivelyplaced opposite the corner squares. The spaces between the cavities andalso between the central square and the barrier must besufficientlylarge to allow free passage for the marbles. The tablet isencircled by a rim F, forming, in connection with the barrier O, agroove or channel in which the marbles are placed at the beginning ofthe game. In order to prevent loss of the marbles the tablet is providedwith a cover which, if desired, may be transparent, so that it need notbe removed while the game is in progress. If preferred, it may bear anappropriate ornamental label with the rules of the game.

The game is performed by balancing the tablet on the hands and graduallyand carefully changing its horizontal position until all the marbles arepassed through the openings in the barrier and finally made to occupythe cavities in succession. A number of persons may by turns engage inthe game, and the I player who first succeeds in stopping and arrangingthe marbles in the cavities in such positions that the sum of theirnumerals in each row when counted transverselyin either direction ordiagonally shall amount to fifteen is the winner of the game. Theplayers may agree upon any limit of time for the game, and the one whomakes in that time the highest number of points is the winner; or, if itbe preferred, the players can fix a limit of time during which the gamemust be completed by each, and so in turn the board trated nine ballsare used. Of these four are supposed to be colored and five uncolored.

The device maybe readily adapted to the popular diverting game oftit-tat-toe, three in a row by playing the marbles so that three of thesame color shall occupy any one row of the cavities.

What I claim as new is- The hereimdescribed toy, consisting of a tabletprovided centrally with a series of shallow cavities or pockets disposedin the form of a square and adapted to engage a corresponding number ofmarbles or balls colored, as described, a sectionalcircular barrieroutside of the square. and having four openings D respectively oppositethe corners of the square, and a rim encircling the tablet, forming, inconnection with the said barrier, a groove in which the marbles may beplaced at the beginning of the game, substantially 0

